The castle is about 100km south-west from Munich. After a 2 hour train ride, we arrived in the town of Fussen, back near the Austrian border, and then it was a short bus-trip to the hamlet of Hohenschwangau below the castle.
The castle was only ever about 1/3 finished, with some building works to be completed, and most of the internal rooms not completed. Ludwig II only lived in the castle for about 175 days, before he was declared medically unfit due to suffering from mental illness (paranoia), and was removed from the throne; perhaps his uncle, who succeeded him had something to do with it ...
The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. Since then more than 61 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with as many as 6,000 per day in the summer - and once again, we see why I am travelling in the off-peak season!
The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle and later, similar structures.
Quite literally, it is the quintessential fairy-tale castle!
And today was what I would call a true Goldilocks Day - not too hot, and not too cold, but just right; not too windy, and not too calm, but just right, not too bright, and not too dull, but just right, not too long, and not too short, but just right, not too many tourists, (OK, you can't have too few tourists) - I'm sure you are getting the picture. At least the skies were clear and blue, which improves the photos no end compared with the dull grey overcast, mist of the last week or so.
On the train ride, our tour guide (Emir, who is a retired university history lecturer) explained the history of Bavaria, the kings, and in particular King Ludwig II, and Neuschwanstein and kept us all soundly amused.
Taking a bus (for an extra 2 euros) up the hill from Hohenschwangau (saving a long 45 minute walk, which we could enjoy more on the way back down again), our first stop was Mary's Bridge, with phenomenal views to the castle:
At this point, you pick up the official castle tour guide, who moves you through the castle explaining rooms as you go - all up, you're inside for about 30 minutes; but that's OK, because really, the best of the castle are the views from the outside.
It's a bit like a German production line, with one group moving out of a room and the next moving in, while you are moved quickly and firmly through the corridors, past rooms, and into a small number of allotted rooms, where you are given a curt explanation of what you are seeing (some of which is behind you, and now unreachable due to the crowd in the small space). Also, no photos allowed inside - I guess it's to keep things moving along at a rate of knots, but also to maximise sales (of photo books and postcards) in the shopping opportunities that you have no choice but to pass through on your way out.
However, after the tour, by heading through the café, you do have some pretty spectacular views across the Bavarian countryside, including Hohenschwangau Castle and behind it Scwhansee (or Swan Lake- yes, the inspiration for Tchaikovsky's ballet of the same name), which sits behind another castle - this one some 700 years old!
Overall, while I have tended to shy away from organised tours, this was definitely worthwhile.
Once again, it was another good day, and major thumbs up for Munich-Direct Tours (www.munich-direct.com).